The Mission
by ArtistOfBlue
Summary: Bart's mission was straightforward. But the person he is supposed to protect is the person who changes the mission into something quite beautiful. (A 3 part story, fluff in later chapters)
1. Part 1: Introductions

_Hello! It has been a good long while since I've published anything on here. Trust me, this is a HUGE improvement from my previous stuff. Like, day and night. _

_A GREAT BIG HUGE THANK YOU to my beta SaintRenee. Visit her blog! _ saintrenee . tumblr _(without the spaces of course)_

_Summary: _Bart's mission was straightforward. But the person he is supposed to protect is the person who changes everything.

"I know Nathaniel. Big mission, lots to do. Better get to it." Bart Allen said as he pulled his goggles on, readying himself for the most complex and crucial mission in history.

Bart knew what he had to do in order to save the world. And even if it sounded crazy, he was determined to travel back in time and stop all this from happening. He was going to crash the mode.

_All this_ being the apocalypse the Reach had brought upon Earth. Bart lived in the aftermath of it all, of all the destruction, cruelty, hopelessness, and darkness. For these reasons, and an unbearable many more Bart had concocted this near impossible mission. He refused to let anyone else face the harsh labor, brutal beatings, and feel the great pain of lose anymore. He had to save the world from the Reach.

Simply put Bart was a genius. Although the collar that was forced on him by the Reach and cut off his speed with all its side effects, it could never slow down his mind. He was always one step ahead, looking at subtle signs to guide his next move, and observing far more than anyone would ever guess.

It was a stroke of luck, just a small chance that he was able to see a collar being put on a new prisoner, and see how the collar locked on tightly to the neck.

And that was all Bart needed in order to remove his own.

After he was freed, he literally ran all the way to the past. He was determined to crash the mode.

"I know Nathaniel. Big mission, lots do to. Better get to it." Were the last words Bart ever spoke during his own era.

It was a sobering moment for Bart, leaving his time in order to save his only friend, his grandfather, and the entire world. But that moment paled in comparison to meeting Blue Beetle; the force of evil that drove him to take on his extreme task. Initially he had been anxious. He wanted to start the most crucial part of his mission, and get the first meeting over with. He didn't know what to expect. It was rumored that the Blue Beetle had once been a hero, a humane human hero. But Bart could never push the blue monster out of his mind.

Until he met Jaime Reyes.

He was being given a more thorough tour of the cave when he finally came face to face with him. Beast Boy had insisted on it, while Bart agreed eagerly, playing the part of "tourist."

"Oh hey Blue!" Beast Boy had said as they entered the locker room. The boy turned from his locker and smiled at Beast Boy, "Hey Garfield." He said, a little weary from the mission he had just completed.

"Hey Bart, this is Blue-"

"Beetle!" Bart finished as he sped to his target. "Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm Bart- grandson of the Flash- Allen! I'm also known as Impulse, but I'm crash with whatever you call me!"

Jaime was more or less a little startled by the newcomer's exuberance. After getting back from a mission, his mind was tired and groggy.

Jaime still wasn't used to the parasite on his back, nor the voice and annoyances that came with the piece of alien tech. He was also still adjusting to the dark dreary missions that seemed to dominate his once peaceful and quiet lifestyle. The new parts in his life had made his heart a little heavy. It was for all these reasons that Jaime found Bart to be oddly refreshing.

"Jaime Reyes." He smiled as he extended his hand. "Call me whatever you want, Bart."

Bart chose to call him Jaime. Or Blue. But rarely Blue Beetle. Bart carried out his plan immediately. He befriended Blue Beetle, tried to guide him, watch his every move, all to ensure that the future would be safe.

He had overlooked that to save the future he would need to save Jaime first. This was a task he was not completely oblivious about, but one he had wanted to ignore. He didn't think he would be able to look at Jaime- especially when the armor was on, let alone save him. He was sure the armor would make him think of the countless things he had done to him and so many others.

But it was easy to face Jaime. He saw Jaime before he saw Blue Beetle. He saw Jaime's compassion, his sadness, love, kindness, funniness, loveliness, his weaknesses, strengths, likes, dislikes, family, burdens… everything that made up _Jaime_ was what shone through when he armored up. Jaime was who Bart was here to save, not Blue Beetle.

He began to do something that he thought was impossible: trust. He could never rely on anyone before. There was no guarantee you or your companions would be alive the next morning, and you had to fend for yourself. Compassion for others meant starvation, long cold nights, and a short life.

Bart trusted Jaime enough that he told Jaime the truth about why he was really there, and regretted it soon after. He didn't want to scare Jaime, but he had done just that. He had to do it though, in order to save Jaime. Sacrifices for the mission. It would all be alright in the end. He made the right choice.

But still he hated himself for making Jaime terrified of something that he was determined will never happen. To Bart, he had become the Jaime's protector. He would never let anything happen to him, even if it killed him. Meeting Jaime only made his resolve to make things right stronger. He refused to let the Reach win.

But for a whole week after the his rescue from the Reach's ship, Jaime still was wary to put the armor back on, to talk about what had happened to him on the Reach's ship. Bart hated how he hadn't predicted this, because for once it seemed he was not one step ahead. Jaime's reaction was dragging him along on a foggy ride where Bart couldn't make out what Jaime was thinking or what Jaime was heading toward. Jaime was unpredictable to him.

Bart never had to deal with _trust _when making decisions. He did what he had to alone, and only did what he had to in order to survive and succeed. Trust seemed to alter something though, something inside him. Trust and Jaime put together changed something that had always seemed to make the best decisions, but now was absolutely useless when it came to judging Jaime.

It was frustrating to the speedster.

Bart had gone over to the Reyes household, and was currently in Jaime's room reading a book while Jaime was playing video games. He wasn't really reading though. He was thinking about the boy who was sitting across the room with his back to him.

Bart didn't know what to do when it came to Jaime. The fog that enveloped Jaime was thick. Bart had tried to wait for Jaime to come around and talk. He presumed he would talk to Bart about it at the first chance he got! But he never did. And it was driving Bart up the wall.

He needed to know.

"Jaime. Doyouhateme?" Bart blurted out.

Jaime stiffened before Bart could even regret asking. Bart wanted to suck his question back in and never let it back out. He hadn't thought that question through at all. But he had never needed to think before! He only needed to think things through around Jaime, and Bart wasn't used to it. Normally he just knew what the best course of action would be. Except around Jaime.

Bart was focused on Jaime's reaction, time moved like molasses, letting him see every single detail.

Jaime paused the game and turned around with what Bart saw as exaggerated slowness. He looked up at Bart who was on his bed, and time sped up when he saw the look of panic on Jaime's face.

"What? No! No, I would never hate you _hermano_!" He said as he got up to sit next to Bart.

Bart kept his silence, trying to figure out what to say next.

"Why would you even ask that?" Jaime asked studying Bart's face.

Bart studied back, trying to choose his words carefully. He wasn't good at thinking before speaking. He went with what his gut said and it was generally correct.

Jaime made his gut instincts wrong.

Bart sighed, opting to just spit out the truth since he had already told Jaime the biggest secret he held. "After I told you about what happens to you, you've been acting… off."

Jaime went from studying to just staring at Bart. His eyes slid downward as his shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I have been."

"Do I need to ask why?" Bart asked.

Jaime's only response was to rub the back of his scalp. "I think we should talk about this. You've probably got questions, and I've got answers, so shoot." Bart continued, seeing the somber response.

Jaime covered his eyes with his hands as he leaned against the headboard. He gave a heaving sigh as he dragged his hands down his face and looked into his lap.

Bart sat opposite him and waited. He studied Jaime's dreary dark eyes crowned with dark long lashes. His eyes were tired and forlorn. Bart's gut twisted, knowing he was the reason Jaime was looking like this.

He put a hand out on Jaime's shoulder, making Jaime take a shuddered breath.

"I am so scared… I'll become like Black Beetle… or… worse…" Jaime whispered.

Bart rubbed his shoulder trying to think of a proper response before he continued. "I don't know what I do to you in the future… but it must have been bad. You never let on, but you acted so different when you told me. It's the most serious I've ever seen you. Whatever I do… it must be… _mal_. I just… I'm not like that. I can't be. I can't be! I can't be."

"You won't be." Bart said as he crawled closer to Jaime, putting both hands on his shoulders. "I won't let it happen."

"_Lo siento_."

Bart looked at him almost questioningly. "What?"

"I'm sorry,_ ese_. For everything I do." Jaime said as he took a shaky breath in.

"No. You aren't sorry because there is nothing to be sorry for." Bart pushed Jaime's chin up so that Jaime was looking at him before speaking again. "It will never happen, got it hermano?"

Jaime suddenly pulled Bart against him and buried his face in Jaime's neck as he shook with unshed tears. Bart hugged him back, rubbing his back and repeating over and over that he wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Ever.

And Bart wasn't lying. He would sooner die than let anything happen to Jaime.


	2. Part 2: Companionship

_Thank you to all those who reviewed and are following this story! It makes me so happy and made me want to update this story more quickly than originally planned! So please, drop a review after this chapter! You have no idea how grateful and happy I am to those who review :) _

_ANOTHER GREAT BIG HUGE THANKS to my beta SaintRenee. Visit her blog! _saintrenee . tumblr _(without the spaces of course)_

_Thanks you and read on! Part 2!_

Bart was stuck to Jaime like glue, and he didn't mind at all. Bart was his confidant, his anchor, and supporter.

Without Bart, he didn't know what he would do, what he would _become_…

To betray his friends, family, the whole human race... It sounded impossible. But he never doubted Bart, not for a moment. Bart wouldn't lie to Jaime, and he wouldn't come back from the future just to play some elaborate prank.

Bart wasn't like that. He knew that.

Bart came to warn him. To fight off the apocalypse, protect against evil. He came to help him escape the Reach's hold and stay unmoded.

Bart, in short, saved him. In more ways than one.

Jaime wasn't a dumb kid. He realized that Bart coming back here was no small sacrifice. He also realized that Bart didn't come here to escape his past. He ran towards the danger. He ran to where the apocalypse started, befriended the most evil villain there ever will be during his time, and did all this while still somehow keeping a smile on his face.

Bart was a hero. He was _his_ hero.

He couldn't lose him.

Jaime was so terrified when Bart asked if he hated him. How could he even ask that? How could he hate Bart? His knight in shining armor? The person who risked everything to save him? The person who willingly and completely befriended him, the same person who comforted him and reassured him everything would be fine.

Bart was his rock. Strange, a speedster being as constant and durable as a rock.

So in a way Bart wasn't stuck to him, Jaime was stuck to Bart, because there was no way Jaime was letting his rock go. He needed him.

Two weeks had gone by since Jaime cried on Bart's shoulder, although no tears were shed. He had already cried all his tears out by himself in the middle of the night. Terrified, scared, and alone.

But ever since that night two weeks ago, he felt less alone than usual.

Bart had agreed to have a sleepover at Jaime's house. And Jaime was actually nervous.

_Heart rate increasing._

Jaime ignored the scarab, thinking of Bart and whether or not he would be cool with just hanging out in his room. The last time they did that they had ended up having a heart to heart.

_"Jaime. Do you hate me?"_ Those words echoed through Jaime's head. How could he think that? Bart had easily become his best friend and get even closer to him than Tye, and Jaime relied on him so much. In hindsight he realized he hadn't shown it, but he was determined now to make sure Bart knew how much he appreciated everything that he had done. Not only for the deeds he'd done for Jaime, but for the whole world as well.

_Fast moving object detected. Impulse is now in the area. Impulse is at the front door._

Jaime rolled off his bed and went down stairs as the door bell was ringing.

"I got it!" Jaime called as he ran the rest of the way downstairs and to the door.

"Jaime! My man, what is up! You ready to do this?" Bart said as soon as the door was opened wide enough for Jaime to hear him.

"I guess?" Jaime answered as Bart practically ran up the stairs yelling a quick hello to his parents and sister.  
Jaime followed him to his room, finding Bart had already opened a pack of chicken whizees and was sitting cross legged on his bed.

_The Impulse is intruding on your territory, Jaime Reyes._  
"This is so crash! I've never been to a sleepover before. Unless…" Bart stopped himself, and then instantly continued on with a bright smile. "Nope! Never had a sleepover."

"Well _hermano_, we just do what we normally do when you come over. Except you stay the whole night, and you don't go to sleep until it's really early in the morning."

"Sounds crash! But isn't the point to sleep? You know, _sleep_ over. It implies sleeping."

Jaime smiled at Bart's naivety. "Yeah, I don't understand that either. We can sleep if you want, but normally people like to spend as much time with each other as possible."

Bart chuckled, "wouldn't we be spending time together even if we were sleeping?"

"I suppose, but like I said, it's an optional thing."

"Crash. I say we stay up! I want to get used to the early twenty-first century and all its weird traditions."

Jaime quirked a smile as he sat on the bed and ate some of Bart's precious chicken whizees. "Right, well sorry _ese_, but there isn't much to learn here."

"Wanna sneak out later?"

"What?" Jaime asked taken off guard.

"Yeah! Sneak out, like all the kids do in the movies. Should be fun, except you're used to it because you always sneak out to do the whole hero thing." Bart grinned.

Jaime smiled after briefly considering it. "Alright, sounds like a plan."

They waited for the rest of the household to fall asleep, both of them eating (Bart more so than Jaime) and drinking energy drinks.

When they felt the coast was clear they opened the window and left.

_It is unwise to participate in risky activities. Return home before you are discovered._

Jaime scoffed as he flew up into the air, keeping his eyes locked on Bart who was still in his civvies. "As if you care about what danger I put myself in. You'll take any excuse to see some action."

_None of my weapons can be used against foolishness._

Jaime ignored the scarab, figuring that it would do anything to spite him. He's learned it's better to just not argue with the infuriating thing, it always has to have the last word.

Bart was racing outside the city, too fast for the naked eye to focus on. Thankfully Jaime could rely on the armor's lenses to see Bart.  
Bart would sometimes slow down, letting Jaime catch up. And as soon as Jaime was directly above him, Bart would speed right back up and get ahead again, just barely enough to frustrate the flying boy. This was a game they frequently played. A race that Jaime always lost.

"Quit being a tease _ese_!" Jaime called down to the runner. "You're just afraid to give me a chance!"  
The fun came when Jaime managed to get in the lead, which he was getting better at. The moment that Bart slowed down because of the taunts from above was the same moment Jaime doubled the energy input to his jet pack and took the lead.

Now Bart had to follow Jaime, which was where Jaime had the advantage; Jaime didn't have to worry about the terrain. He headed straight in the direction of the rocky, uneven, hilly part of the desert. These were no problem for Bart, but it helped divert his attention long enough for Jaime to put more distance between the two.

Leading Bart straight through the rough terrain he turned and headed deeper into the desert, as fast as he could. Of course after that there was only open sand, and Bart took the lead again.

_The Impulse is bettering us. This must be corrected._

One of the only things Jaime agreed on with the scarab was that he didn't like to lose. To Bart especially. Bart had this annoying way of bringing out the worst and best in him. Bart motivated him, made him want to prove his strength, be the best he could possibly be. But he had a bad way of showing it. For instance, his refusal to lose to Bart of all people.

Bart was heading away from the city and straight into the middle of the cool desert.

This was where Jaime tried to tackle Bart. He had managed to do it before. Twice. Out of who knew how many times.

But Jaime was determined to catch him, and kept on speeding forward, commanding the jetpack to pick up more speed. Bart started weaving across the terrain, knowing full well what the other boy was planning and how to dodge it.

Jaime didn't know if Bart was mocking him by doing this or trying to give him a chance, for when the speedster started going from side to side it let Jaime slowly catch up.

_The Impulse is taunting you. He is saying "Here's your chance Blue"_

"What? How can you tell?" Jaime grumbled as he got ever closer to the zigzagging blur.

_My senses picked up the sound waves of his voice_

"Right." Jaime mumbled, not surprised in the slightest.

When Jaime felt he was close enough to give a tackle a shot he rose higher, figuring higher altitude would help him and give him more time to change directions if need be.

_Best chance of catching the Impulse in 3. 2. 1!_

Jaime dove straight to where he presumed Bart would be in the few seconds it took him to reach the ground. He had hoped to catch Bart by surprise. But that almost never was the case.

And it wasn't the case now as Jaime collided with the sand, forcing his body to flip and roll a few yards away from his impact zone.

_That was a failure Jaime Reyes._

"I know it failed!" Jaime grunted in frustration as he sat up.

_Recommended tactic: obliterate the Impulse._

"I don't want to. Besides that would never work, he's too fast."

_Obliterate him when he is unawares in order to avoid future failures._

"No! I'm not obliterating anyone! Especially not Bart!" Jaime yelled.

It was then that Jaime noticed Bart was right there. Watching him as he argued with himself. Jaime looked down at his lap, afraid of what Bart was thinking about his last comment… he would never obliterate Bart, and as far as he knew the scarab didn't want to obliterate _Bart_ specifically. Just anyone who got in its way.

So much for showing how much he appreciates Bart.

"You ok, hermano?" Bart asked as he outstretched a hand.

Jaime gratefully took it. "Yeah, just arguing with the scarab." He looked at Bart's face "It doesn't like to lose." He chuckled nervously as he retracted the mask.

Bart smiled and nodded. "'Know the feeling. That's why I never let you win."

"You just like to have the bragging rights." Jaime said as he genuinely chuckled.

"Oh please, I could get bragging rights just by saying that I'm Impulse." He grinned as they both started to walk back towards the city.

Jaime smirked but did not reply. He would let Bart have this victory, along with all his other victories. He deserved them; he had earned to be the top dog for once.

It still would have been nice if Jaime had won though…

Thinking about what Bart had heard him say, Jaime sighed. He needed to clear things up with Bart. He knew that Bart was extremely good at hiding things. Including his potential hatred towards him… Jaime was terrified of becoming something even remotely like the Black Beetle. And unfortunately the beetle armor was enough to make him at least similar. He didn't want Bart, or anyone for that matter, to even doubt he was a good guy. He needed to make sure that everyone knew he would never betray them. He especially needed Bart to understand this.

He wouldn't be able to handle it if he didn't trust him.

"I would never hurt you. Obliterate you." Jaime said.

Bart stopped short. "I know." He said turning his head to look at him.

"No, really, I would never." Jaime said, turning to face Bart fully. "The scarab isn't out to get you; it is out to win against anyone who challenges it. And even if it somehow did hold a grudge against you, I would never let it get to you. _Nunca. Yo te prometo esto._"

"Jaime, I know." Bart said as he looked straight into his eyes. "The Reach will never put you on mode. I won't allow it."

Jaime reached out and grabbed Bart's shoulders, returning Bart's gaze. "I'll look out for you. I always will. _Siempre_."

"Siempre…" Bart echoed, clearly not knowing what it meant, but sensed the sentiment behind it none the less. "I decided a long time ago I would protect you man, and meeting _you_- the real you…" Bart drifted off, suddenly grabbing Jaime and pulling him in for a hug. "I won't lose you." Bart finished.

Jaime did not reply. How could he reply to that? This boy, this amazing boy, just swore to protect him…

Of course Jaime said he would protect him first, but Bart had no reason to protect him. Blue Beetle, the biggest big bad in history… If he were Bart he would want nothing to do with him…

And maybe Bart didn't want anything to do with him. Maybe it was only a strong sense of duty that kept Bart from bolting.

_No_. Bart was his rock, his knight in shining armor. And now his protector. Bart could have just told him and the rest of the team the harsh truth and let them deal with it. He could have kept him safe from a distance, never having to do more than look at him.

But Bart willingly became friends with him. The biggest big bad in history.

And Jaime was so… _grateful_. He thought as he tightened his grip on the boy in his arms.

Bart was here. And with him here, Jaime didn't feel like a failure, he didn't feel as frightened. He felt stronger with Bart by his side.

"Aren't you cold?" Jaime murmured against Bart's ear. He retracted the rest of the cold metal incasing him, sharing his body heat with the boy.

"A little," Bart muttered back.

Bart's heart beat was erratic.

Jaime chuckled slightly as he rubbed the Bart's back. "Why do we always seem to talk about the most serious stuff?" Just two weeks ago Bart had been comforting him, rubbing his back and letting him get his pent up emotions out.

"Because we've got each other's backs." Bart replied seriously.

"_Cariño_." Jaime whispered into Bart's hair.


	3. Part 3: Love

_This is the final chapter, and is by far the longest! I enjoyed writing this, and my beta enjoyed reading this part the most. Best for last, right?_

_Speaking of my beta, another HUGE THANKS! GO TO HER TUMBLR, HER NAME IS Saintrenee._

_Read on and enjoy part 3!_

Bart awoke to a spotless room. He immediately checked his phone for any texts, missed calls, notifications, anything that Jaime could have sent to him.

Nothing was there though.

Shrugging off his disappointment Bart ran off to the bathroom, took a shower, brushed his teeth, even flossed, ran back to his room, put on the clean set of clothes he had set out the previous night, sped down to the laundry room, discarded his pajamas, sped back to his room and check his phone again.

Still nothing.

Bart let out an aggravated sigh and reminded himself that Jaime was probably still asleep. Who knows how many times Bart had gone to the Reye's house to see Jaime's parents in their dressing gowns and Jaime still in bed.

Bart smiled, remembering the first time he had seen Jaime like that and all the times that followed. He always had messy slept on hair, a half lidded expression as Jaime blearily looked at him, Jaime only being clad in a loose T-shirt and boxers. Seeing Jaime like that was the main reason he went over so early in the morning.

However, Jaime's parents had told him to let Jaime sleep in a bit. They had said explained in a round-about way that it wasn't that they didn't like Bart, but they were worried about Jaime's health…

Bart frowned as he padded downstairs, phone in hand.

That was the thing, Bart didn't know what they meant by "health." The obvious answer was that Jaime needed more sleep. However Bart's sharp mind took the meaning a few steps further.

He knew that in this day and age homosexuality was sometimes viewed as an illness, a disease of sorts. Did they disapprove of Jaime having a more-then-friends-relationship with a boy? Did his parents suspect Bart of being gay? Was it that obvious? Bart desperately hoped that they didn't suspect that, because if they saw it that means Jaime probably did too.

The two boys had never talked about their sexual orientation… it was a foreign concept to Bart. In his time no one cared who you liked. No one really had the time or energy to like others in a romantic way anyway. Bart hadn't even thought about who he would prefer to date. He just realized he liked guys when he started to develop feelings for Jaime.

But for Jaime, Bart suspected this was a huge issue. Some people accepted homosexuality. Others didn't. And Bart wasn't sure how to go about finding out that crucial piece of information…

Having a crush on Jaime was a huge inconvenience.

But it was an inconvenience he enjoyed.

Even if Jaime did accept Bart's attraction to boys that still left some huge questions: Does Jaime like him back? Does he only date girls?

Ever since Bart's first sleepover a little over a month ago, Bart had gone over to Jaime's house more and more frequently. Jaime and Bart saw each other almost daily, whether it be at headquarters or one visiting the other. It wasn't long before they began to be able to read each other, prompting Nightwing to put them on missions together, which meant even more time with each other. Being close to Jaime was a convenience to Bart, it allowed him to keep a close eye on the Jaime and protect him more effectively.

It shouldn't have been that surprising that Bart began to gain affectionate feelings towards the other boy. The shock of the first flutter of his stomach was unexpected, and all the side effects of his feelings were just as unexpected and highly inconvenient to Bart. He couldn't get a _crush_. He was on a mission! He needed to save the world!

But the more time he spent with Jaime made him more determined to save Jaime above everything else. In an odd way, his crush benefitted the mission… at least that is what Bart told himself as he continued to hang out with Jaime and indulge in the strange, enthralling feelings that stirred in his chest.

Bart was desperate to see Jaime. He visited Jaime daily, and only missed a day in extreme cases. Bart briefly wondered if it was wrong to want to hang out with Jaime so much. He dismissed the thought and continued to visit Jaime anyway.

That is, up until a few days ago anyway, when he last visited Jaime. They hadn't seen each other in those few days. The last time Bart visited he was told he shouldn't come over so early...

Shamefaced, Bart had jumped to conclusions and decided to not visit. He still texted Jaime, but he hadn't been able to look at him. Bart avoided him. He was sure that Jaime's parents had had a talk with him, explaining why homosexuality was bad.

Of course Bart didn't know this for sure, but he didn't want to know he was right.

Yesterday, two days of not seeing each other Jaime got worried. It was very unusual that the speedster wouldn't drop by once a day, let alone two days in a row.

Bart excused his absence by jokingly saying that Jaime's parents were probably sick of him eating all their food.

Jaime had texted back a three page text as to why Bart was always welcome to his house and that his parents definitely did _not_ hate him. Jaime asked what had gotten into him and why he would ever think that his parents disliked him.

Bart ignored the question and continued to joke around.

When all was said and done Jaime said he was coming round to Bart's. Bart readily agreed before even thinking through it. His stupid gut told him to say yes. What if Jaime acted differently? But Jaime had asked him, and he hadn't even been prompted to! Bart was so excited by Jaime asking Bart instead of vice versa, and that he would see Jaime! The only thing that dampened his mood was what Jaime's parents have probably said to him. But in the end his excitement won out over his paranoia, making Bart take a run around the city limits over twenty times, before going back to the Garrick's eating food, and cleaning his room from excitement and nerves.

Bart anxiously looked at the clock. 8:07. No, Jaime wouldn't be awake until about 10:00. Sighing and twitching from nerves Bart pulled on some sneakers before running to the kitchen, grabbed a readymade sandwich from the fridge (Joan is experienced in keeping speedsters full and happy) and running out the house, too fast for anyone to see him completely. He quickly ate his sandwich as he ran, trying to relax his nerves before Jaime arrived.

He preferred to run in the dessert. No one was there to stare and he didn't have to worry about being seen in civvies. And he was with Jaime. At least most of the time he was. Sometimes he would take a detour on his run home just to roam the desert for a bit. Look at the stars, get a little peace. The desert at night was somewhat soothing, despite its harsh reputation.

The last time he had been in the dessert was three days ago, after spending a day with Jaime and avoiding his parents. He had thought about how differently this whole situation had turned out. He had thought he would be protecting the Blue Beetle, by becoming his friend and just keeping him out of the firing range of the Reach. He had never thought he would tell Blue Beetle the truth, he never suspected he would get so close to him, never in his wildest dreams would have thought it possible he would love the Blue Beetle.

But he didn't love the Blue Beetle per se. Not the one he had originally planned on saving at least… he loved Jaime Reyes, a boy who is nowhere near the person Bart thought he would be. Jaime was… _perfect_. Bart almost cringed when thinking the sappy thought, but it was the truth! Jaime was so understanding, caring, smart, calm, collected. Everything Bart needed him to be. He was fun too. He knew when to be serious, and when to have a good time. He had such good judgment. And he was sensitive. So sensitive… Bart remembered the vulnerable look Jaime had when Bart told him the truth. Bart regretted it, but Jaime just took it in his stride, and didn't push him away.

In fact they had become closer.

Jaime accepted all his quirky futuristic habits and didn't question his fake happy behavior. Jaime accepted all of it. _All of it_.

There were two Blue Beetles for Bart. The Reach's Blue Beetle, and Jaime the Blue Beetle. If he had known all that he knew now when he first planned on going to the past… he didn't know what he would have done. Run? Stay?

He didn't care. He enjoyed the feelings he got around Jaime, being a hero, and the hope he has for the world's future. And for once, his future.

Bart was almost back at the Garrick's house, feeling extremely hungry. The sandwich clearly wasn't enough to sustain him, but in his haste he had overlooked how truly empty his stomach would be after a long fast run.

He ran in through the wall, thinking it would be suspicious if someone saw a blur open and close the front door.

He ran straight past Jaime and into the kitchen.

Bart skidded to a halt and turned to run right back out to greet him.

"Jaime!" Bart cried as he hugged the Latino who was sitting at the dining table with Joan, eating a muffin Joan had baked the previous evening.

"Good to see you man!" Jaime chuckled as he returned the hug. "I brought you chicken whizees!"

"You are the absolute best!" Bart grinned as he reluctantly pulled out of the hug.

"What were you doing out there?" Jaime asked.

"Just running around the city." Bart said casually.

"Why?" Jaime frowned as he stood up.

"I just do it sometimes. Speedsters are known for running after all!" Bart slipped a grin on his face. He didn't want to let on that the real reason behind his run was standing in front of him.

Jaime's frown deepened, his eyes held an anxiousness in them as he spoke. "But we agreed that I would come over. You knew I was coming over."

Bart's eyes widened in realization, but before he could get even the quickest word in Joan was already speaking. Bart almost cursed her sometimes annoying ability to handle Speedsters so well.

"Now now, Bart probably lost track of time. A speedster's internal clock is very tricky to figure out. I can't tell you how many times Jay was late to a date." Jaime looked from Joan to Bart uncertainly.

"Bart you must be hungry after your little run. Why don't you and Jaime get something to eat? I'm going to go grocery shopping." Joan continued as she got up to get her purse.

"Oh, thanks Joan!" Jaime called as she walked down the hall.

Bart offhandedly thought how oddly great it was that Jaime was calling Joan by her first name. It just proved how often Jaime had come over since they first met.

Bart led Jaime into the kitchen. He felt his nerves acting up. He didn't want Jaime to think he wasn't happy he was here! Or that he was avoiding him- even though he had been for the past couple of days. Bart was ecstatic that Jaime had come over! He was over the moon! Heck! His stomach was fluttering enough that he wouldn't be surprised if he sprouted wings.

Bart glanced at the clock on the wall. 8:49.

"When did you get here?" Bart wondered out loud. He had been gone for less than forty-five minutes.

"Eight-twenty. Ish" Jaime spoke thinly.

"Ididn'tthinkyouwouldgetheresoearly !" Bart exclaimed. He had come that early? That was unheard of! That was only ten minutes after he had left! Only ten!

Trying to calm down and speak normally Bart said "I mean I'm…" ecstatic, elated, delirious with emotion? "Really happy that you're here! But you never get up earlier than ten!"

Jaime smiled slightly "Trust me, it wasn't easy getting up without my personal alarm clock."

Bart cracked a true grin "It's my favorite thing to do!"

"Other than beat me at racing you mean?" Jaime grinned back.

"Well that's pretty crash, but then again doing anything with my buddy Blue is crash!"

"I would hope so!" Jaime continued to grin.

Bart was reminded by his hunger when he glanced down from Jaime's face, which he had been looking at ever since he followed him into the kitchen. In Jaime's hand was the bag of forgotten chicken whizees.

"I'm so hungry! You want anything, or was that muffin enough for you?"

"Yeah I'll take anything, just let me eat the rest of my muffin real quick."

In the time it took Jaime to walk out and grab his half eaten muffin Bart had already assembled a few huge plastic bags full of various cereals, crushed pop-tarts, potato chips, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, crackers, goldfish, and whatever else he felt like adding.

He had also created a huge mess.

Jaime could only shake his head in slight amusement. _"Dios mío, _it's a good thing Joan is used to this. Want help cleaning up?"

Bart took silent pleasure in Jaime's Spanish. Half the time he didn't know what he was saying, but Bart loved it anyway. It was one of the things that made Jaime completely unique.

"Sure! It's appreciated!" Bart replied.

Jaime picked up all the empty containers and boxes and threw them away as Bart put away anything that still contained some food. When they were done they grabbed some soda and Bart's bags and headed up to Bart's room.

"So how did you manage to wake up?" Bart asked as he settled himself on one of his beanbag chairs.

Jaime smirked. "I told Milagro to wake me up. Wasn't quite the same waking up and seeing her instead of you."

Bart's face was covered with a huge cheesy grin "What? You prefer me over your own sister? Why? She's an angel!"

Jaime scowled as he sank into the matching bean bag chair "To you, and everyone else maybe. But she is such a pain for me."

"Well you are siblings. That is normal for siblings."

"Yeah, particularly Milagro." Jaime grinned.

Bart began to snack on his breakfast trail mix. "Want some?" Bart offered.

"Uhh, no thanks."

"You sure? I know there's a lot of different stuff in here, but it's good!"

"Yes I'm sure, and why do you put so many different types of food together anyway _ese_?" Jaime asked

Bart's stomach tightened as he shoved food in his mouth to put off answering, afraid he would reveal what his traitorous emotions were doing to him. Bart loved all of Jaime's pet names for him. They always sent warmth through him, having Jaime call him something that was personal. In Bart's opinion it was flattering.

Bart managed to chew and swallow the food he had in his mouth and answered "That's what speedsters do. Kid Flash would eat all the time when he was first on the team. He eats a lot now, but when you're growing and have a faster metabolism because of your powers, you eat _a lot_ and don't care what it tastes like."

"So that explains why you think blueberry pop tarts and Doritos to taste fine together?"

"You got it!" Bart said as he ate a handful of food.

"What's your favorite thing to eat with chicken whizees?" Jaime asked.

Bart was next to him in an instant "Oh yeah! You brought chicken whizees! I'll eat the rest of my breakfast later." Bart said as he reached for the bag that sat next to Jaime.

Jaime chuckled as he let Bart open the bag. The bag crinkled as Bart reached in and grabbed a handful of the precious snack before putting the bag back into Jaime's lap.

Bart kicked his bean bag over to Jaime, planning on sharing the chicken whizees with his friend.

"So… Why didn't you come over to my house for the last few days?" Jaime asked quietly.

Bart immediately put his mask on and slipped a goofy grin over his lips "I was afraid that if I kept running to your house every day I would start making a trail! Wouldn't want anyone to get suspicious."

Jaime's eyes narrowed "And yet you're fine with running around the city perimeter? When you're not in uniform?" Jaime didn't hide his suspicion.

"Nah, I made sure no one would see me. Besides, that was one of the first times I ran around the city." Bart replied nonchalantly as he slouched in his bean bag.

"I don't buy that for a second. Why didn't you come over?" Jaime glowered, leaning forward.

"I told you! I don't want putting my secret ID at risk!"

Jaime hissed "You don't even like having a secret identity!"

"No, I don't! But I gotta do what is expected of me!" Bart countered, alarmed that Jaime wasn't backing down.

"Just tell me why you didn't visit me!"

"Does it matter? I just decided not to go over."

"Yes Bart, it matters! Just tell me! Why didn't you come over?"

"Oh come on! It was only two days!"

"_Maldita sea cariño_!" Jaime shouted as he sprang out of his chair and towards Bart's "Stop pretending you're fine when you're not! I'm not blind Bart, I can see when you're faking." At this point Jaime was leaning over Bart with arms braced on either side of his head and staring down at him. All Bart could do was stare back, mouth open slightly in shock. "You're hiding something from me! Did something happen? Was it me? Did someone say something to you? Is it the scarab?" Jaime asked as he stared beseechingly down at the speedster.

Bart was completely taken aback. The fact that their close and rather intimate proximity quickened his heartbeat and sent liquid fire through his body only managed to befuddle Bart more. He hadn't expected Jaime to react so strongly… he certainly hadn't expected Jaime to see passed his mask. He shouldn't have been surprised though. He was closest to Jaime out of all the people he had ever met. But the thought still sent a wave of hope through him, and fear. Fear that Jaime could figure out his real feelings towards him, hope that this was a sign that Jaime cared as much as he did.

Jaime was now breathing heavily and stared at Bart in a concerned way. "Bart," he said softly "It _does_ matter…"

Bart swallowed thickly, caught by the concern in Jaime's voice. He wished Jaime would sit back on his own chair. They were barely even touching and Bart was having difficulty keeping his heart from pounding out his chest!

But Bart didn't want Jaime to leave. He wanted Jaime to lie with him, and tell him he cared.

Bart distantly thought how he hated that he could never predict Jaime, as he took a few deep breaths before beginning to answer the best he could.

"No. It isn't you. You have never done anything wrong. Ever. I can't believe you would ever even think that… and it isn't the scarab either. The scarab's fine. I don't care if you talk to it, I really don't. It's… fine. I kinda think it's funny when you get mad at it." Bart told him. The mask was long forgotten and all Bart could do was be painfully honest.

"Then what is it? You can tell me Bart. You can tell me anything."

Bart took another breath as he stared at Jaime's chocolate eyes. He wished he hadn't, it just sent distracting chills down his spine to see them staring back so intently, so openly.

"I…" Bart took another breath. He hated how he couldn't even talk around Jaime. "Yourparentssaidyouneedtobehe althy." Bart spat out.

"_¿Qué?_" Jaime asked jolting his head back a bit. Had he been getting closer? Or was that wishful thinking on Bart's part?

"Yeah. Like, you're sleeping patterns. I keep waking you up and they think that's unhealthy."

"Oh…" Jaime knitted his eyebrows together.

"Yeah, so I decided not to come. I just… feel like they don't like me. They didn't talk to you about me, did they?"

To Bart's overwhelming disappointment Jaime leaned back and pulled his forgotten bean bag closer to Bart's and took a seat.

"Oh…" he said again, staring intently at the ground in thought.

With Jaime now not on top of him and having told the partial truth, Bart felt more relaxed now. He had told Jaime what was bugging him.

But Jaime might go and talk to his parents… and then he would most certainly be given a speech on homosexuality. Bart's heart sank.

"They like you Bart. They really do." Jaime said at last, easily bringing Bart's attention to him. "I don't know how you got the impression they didn't. When you don't come over they ask if you're feeling ok. They've told me they like you, and how you treat Milagro so well." Jaime stared intently at Bart "They like you. They haven't said anything bad about you." And then Jaime smirked a little. "Besides, when you didn't come over I ended up waking up two hours earlier than normal just to come see you. I think it's healthier for you to come over!" Jaime chuckled softly, earning a small smile from Bart.

Bart still had his doubts though.

And of course Jaime could see it.

He put his hand on Bart's knee. "Don't worry. I'll fix this. You should come round sometime for them to talk to you!"

Again Jaime saw Bart's inner turmoil over this prospect.

"_Hermano_, they don't hate you! I don't know how anyone could hate you." Jaime said in slight exasperation.

Jaime's hand on his knee was distracting. Jaime was trying to comfort Bart, but all it made Bart do was think about how he wanted to kiss Jaime. But kissing him would lead to revealing his true feelings. And that was a road Bart wanted to avoid at costs. Jaime would go home, tell his parents, and his parents would forbid them from being friends. He was desperate to change topics, Bart scrambled for something to say, _anything_ that would stop Jaime from touching him and making his stomach do flips. Anything to avoid Jaime discovering Bart's true feelings. Bart blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Whatdoescarinomean?"Jaime tilted his head slightly as Bart cleared his throat to repeat himself "Sorry I said, what does carino mean?" Jaime froze, hand tightening on Bart's knee.

This worried Bart. He had heard Jaime call him that a few times now. The first time in the desert when Bart had stupidly told him he would protect him. It had sounded so much better in his head, but once it was out in the open he suspected Jaime was laughing at him in his head for sounding so frivolous. The next time was when Jaime and Bart had gone on a mission together, it was fairly simple, but at one point Bart had gotten into the firing range. "_Cariño!" _Jaime had cried out! Of course Bart wasn't harmed; he just vibrated through all the bullets that were shot at him. But it was a foolish cocky mistake that led him into the firing range in the first place.

And the third time was just now when Jaime was yelling at him. "_Maldita sea cariño_!" is what Jaime had yelled at him.

The common theme in these scenarios was that Bart looked like a fool.

Bart chuckled, trying to lighten the now tense mood. "Let me guess, it means stupid right?"

"Wha- no!" Jaime stammered as he was pulled from his thoughts.

"Fool?"

"No!"

"Dumb?" Bart asked on.

"No! Nothing like that Bart!"

Bart forced a chuckle again. "Oh come on Jaime, all three times you called me "carino" I was doing something pretty stupid."

Jaime gaped at him slightly "You never did anything stupid." He told the speedster as he shook his head vigorously.

Bart believed the boy sitting next to him. He trusted Jaime enough to know that he would never lie to him. But if the word didn't mean something stupid, what else could it mean? Phsyco? Weirdo? Speedster? It was now Jaime who wasn't telling him something. What on earth did "carino" mean? Bart's curiosity was heightened, ensuring that Bart would find out what carino meant one way or another.

"So what does it mean then?"

Jaime opened his mouth and the shut it, looking away with a scowl. Bart had a gut feeling it wasn't a nice word.

"Jaime?" he prodded. If anything Jaime's scowl deepened.

Bart sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get any information by playing nice. "I can always search for the meaning on the internet."

Jaime's eyes turned into something akin to horror. Now Bart _needed _to know what it meant. If it was that bad…

But some part of him refused to believe that Jaime meant any harm by calling him a "carino." He probably meant it as another pet name, totally innocent and just a playful way of saying "you're my friend." Like when Miss Martian called Beast Boy silly in a loving way.

With that in mind Bart used his incredible speed to run downstairs to the family laptop which was currently in the living room.

He had just started loading the internet browser when he heard Jaime stumbling out of Bart's room upstairs. "Bart! Don't do it!" Jaime yelled.

Bart quickly googled "carino" and only saw websites in Spanish or names of businesses.

That was odd. Why would a word like that be used as a business name?

Just as Bart was about to go to Google translate Jaime ran in and pulled the laptop out of Bart's grip, setting it on the floor far on the other side of the room.

"Dude! Not crash, not crash at all!" Bart grumbled. Jaime just gave a grunt and shrugged in response as he turned around to face him.

Bart tried to glance at the computer screen, which was being blocked by Jaime's legs.

"It isn't anything bad." Jaime sighed as he walked to the couch.

"Then what is it?" Bart said as he got up towards the computer only to have Jaime quickly shove him back to the couch. Jaime sat next to him, turning Bart's head so he was looking at him instead of the computer.

Jaime sighed "It's… I don't want to tell you… I said it by mistake. I didn't mean it."

"You didn't mean what you said? Is that it?"

"No! I didn't mean to say it out loud and-ugh!" Jaime grumbled, getting a little frustrated at being backed into a corner.

"I'm going to find out some way or another. I'll just look it up when you've left, or call Superboy or some other bilingual."

"Bart…" he sighed as he dug the palms of his hands into his eye sockets.

Bart took a mental step back and breathed in. Although he _really_ wanted to know what "carino" meant, he still felt bad for putting Jaime in such an awkward position. Jaime was seriously in turmoil over this, and he really shouldn't be. Bart wanted to know what the word meant but it wouldn't change anything. He knew that whatever carino meant it was said because of how close they were, not because Jaime believed the word to be true and hurtful.

Bart reached out and began to rub Jaime's back in soothing motions. "It's ok if it means something bad. You just said it because we're close. Like how you call Milagro stupid without really meaning it." Bart smiled at Jaime as he relaxed. "Besides, you can tell me anything, remember?"

Jaime took his hands away from his face and looked towards the other boy.

"Thank you… I…"

Bart continued to rub Jaime's back, enjoying the excuse to touch him.

"Bart…" he tried again "I want you to know. Just, don't treat me differently afterwards. Ok?"

Bart nodded, slowly taking his hand away. "I won't, I swear." Bart said meeting Jaime's eyes. "You can tell me anything." He repeated, making Jaime half smiled in return before looking away.

"It… _Cariño_… means… it's a term of…" Jaime sighed and struggled to find the courage to spit out the rest "endearment."

Bart froze.

Endearment?

As in love?

Love.

Affection.

Love?

"Really?" Was all Bart could breathe. So Jaime could like him? _Like_ him? As a significant other? Really? Him? Bart Allen!?

"Its literal meaning is "my love" or "my little love." I'm not saying you're little, but I…"Jaime trailed off.

Bart was still two steps behind Jaime, barely able to comprehend what Jaime was saying. Did that mean Jaime also had feelings for him? As in he liked him even though he clearly wasn't a girl? As in, he wanted to go on dates and kiss? There was no way; it was way too good to be true!

"Bart? Say something." Jaime said reaching out to touch him but stopped himself.

"You're gay?" Bart blurted out, and immediately wanted to unsay it. He should have asked if he wanted to go on a date somewhere. As a couple. Right now. He was literally trying not to vibrate through the couch; he could barely contain his emotional high!

Jaime's eyebrows pulled together in a tight frown. "I guess… I didn't know before I met you though."

Bart was so damn _happy._ Ecstatic, giddy with joy, a happy fool! Jaime was into him! Right? He, Bart the Impulse Allen, had attracted Jaime Reyes.

Jaime continued on, not being able to stop until he had finished what he had started to confess "You were sorta right. About mom and dad. I had told them about my feelings for you…"

Feelings! Bart almost lost it, almost bolted right through the wall to take another circuit round the city just to disperse some of the emotions that were expanding and bursting inside him. But he stayed, mentally having to tell himself not to interrupt Jaime's story. But Jaime had _feelings_! For Bart, of all people! It made his chest ache with bliss.

"I had told them about my crush on you. This was before they told you that you shouldn't come too early because of my health. And they really don't care if I'm straight or gay! I had told them I wanted space from you- not because of you though! I just- I don't know. I was confused, I've never liked a guy before. It's new for me… I don't know what I'm doing. They had suggested I take a little time away from you, and I said sure, that I'd ask you to come in the afternoons so I could… I don't know, think? Think about my emotions? It seemed like a good idea. I wanted to see you, but I wanted space too… But then one day you didn't come. And, I missed you. A lot. I was worried. All my parents said was that they explained to you that I needed more sleep."

Jaime looked at him for the first time in his whole confession.

And was puzzled by Bart's huge grin and twitchy behavior. Bart was literally quivering; barely stopping himself from running a mile and coming straight back to Jaime. But he didn't want to ruin the moment by running away. He needed to hear more. Why had Jaime stopped?

"Yeah?" Bart prodded.

"I was- am worried you aren't gay. I don't know what it was like in the future, but it's ok to be gay here. In some parts of the world at least."

Jaime paused for a moment, looking at Bart's eager face. A small smile appeared on Jaime's face. Encouraged by Bart's positive feedback and kept going.

"When I first called you _cariño _I didn't even know where it came from. I thought I was being too emotional, or because you are just so _great_, and I wanted to somehow tell you… But I kept thinking of you as _cariño, cariño. _I realized I had feelings for you."

Bart now softly vibrating, not enough that he would go through a solid object, but it must have been noticeable. Bart didn't care though, he was so happy! He didn't know it was possible to be this happy! His heart was pounding a loud rhythm; the vibrations were thrumming through him, seeming to help the giddy hot bubbly feeling of happiness from spreading too fast inside him. He needed to get this pent up energy out, or he swore he would explode from happiness.

Bart leaned over and met Jaime's lips, sending a sheer electric wave through his body. Not knowing what to do from there he pulled away. Bart grinned, sheepishly relishing the ever rising amount of happiness he was feeling. Bart looked at Jaime's beautiful face, which stared back him with a dumbfounded expression on it. Bart could only grin wider and go back in for another kiss.

This time Jaime was ready for it though, he placed his hand on the back of Bart's neck and the other around Bart's waist as he slowly pulled Bart closer, making the boy force himself to stop wriggling. Bart took the opportunity to control his vibrations and put all his energy into Jaime, making sure he knew just how he cared for him.

Bart was focused solely on the feeling of Jaime's lips on his own, relishing in the electricity turned fire rolling through his entire body. He could feel Jaime smiling against his lips, making the experience all the more enjoyable, intimate- just _perfect_.

Their lips moved against each others, barely at first, just enough to make friction, and then Bart moved his lips trying to get more of it, more _Jaime_. Jaime just went with it, clearly enjoying the attention the eager boy was giving him. Bart tested which angles his lips should take to fit best against the other boy's mouth, seeing what allowed him to feel Jaime's chin rub against his own, have his cheek run against his face. Bart cautiously began to suck lightly on Jaime's bottom lip, earning a bigger smile from Jaime. Encouraged by Jaime's evident enjoyment Bart smirked as he sucked a little harder.

Eventually they had to stop to breathe, and when that happened Bart realized he was now lying on top of Jaime on the couch.

Jaime began to stroke his hair. "I am definitely fine with you being gay." Bart managed to say as he grinned down at him.

Jaime grinned back, continuing to run his fingers through the ruddy locks.

"Good." Jaime breathed heavily, lifting the speedster up and down ever so slightly.

Bart continued to rest against Jaime, taking his hand that wasn't in his hair and kissing it. Bart had never felt this safe, this _happy_ in his whole life. He would be fine just laying there and letting the whole world pass him and Jaime by if it meant staying in this blissful state.

"Does this mean we're dating?" Bart murmured against Jaime's hand.

Jaime grinned almost drunkenly "Yes _cariño_, we're dating." As he brought Bart's face closer for another kiss.

_Thank you to everyone who favorite, followed, and reviewed this story! I appreciate everyone who did so, and really enjoyed getting those notifications!_

_Please review, it would make my day! It would definitely help motivate me to write more fanfictions, bluepulse or any other pairings. _


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